Libertyville High School group raising scholarship money through 5K race

September 26, 2013|By Danielle Gensburg, Special to the Tribune

For the first time this year, money raised at the Red Ribbon Classic, an annual 5K race sponsored by Libertyville High School's Athletes Committed to Excellence club will go toward a college scholarship for a student athlete at the school stayed alcohol- and drug-free throughout high school.

"Why not try to reward kids that are doing the right thing?" said Libertyville High School assistant coach Sean Ferrell, who's also head of the Athletes Committed to Excellence club, also called ACE. "When they receive the award, they're going to walk across the stage and can say, 'This is who I have been and this is who I am.' "

The race, now in its 20th year, will begin at 10 a.m. and take place Sunday, Oct. 6 at Libertyville High School, 708 W. Park Ave.

Ferrell said this is also the first time the 5K race has been called the Red Ribbon Kuz Classic, a renaming of the race in honor of its founder, Libertyville High School retired Coach Randy Kuceyeski.

"I was very honored to have it named after me," Kuceyeski said. "It was a great gesture by Sean [Ferrell] to do that."

ACE, which was started by Kuceyeski in 1989, is an organization for athletes, cheerleaders or pompon squad members of Libertyville High School who make a commitment to an alcohol- and drug-free lifestyle.

"[Kuceyeski] saw the need to provide a group for kids who want to do the right things and break the stereotype that all athletes drink and all athletes party," Ferrell said. "We help the kids develop leadership skills so they can go out and be examples to other kids."

Ferrell took over as head of ACE in 2006 and has been a sponsor of the club ever since.

"I love working with the kids and have developed a lot of close relationships in the club and with families in the community," he said.

Ferrell said the club meets every Friday before school and can have anywhere from 80 to 150 students each week.

He said the club holds focuses on different discussions each month, with this month's conversation centered on the topics of "commitment" and "what it means to be committed."

"We try to bring in speakers from the community to send the right messages," said Ferrell, who added that the club is led by students. "Kids lead the lessons and talk to their peers about how to remain substance- and alcohol-free and handle the pressure outside of school."

He said "the idea is to say, 'We're here to support you.'"

The Red Ribbon Classic race was started about 20 years ago to help raise awareness of the ACE club.

Ferrell said the idea of putting the proceeds of the race toward a college scholarship was inspired by Leo McCarthy.

McCarthy, whose 14-year-old daughter was killed while walking home from school by a drunk driver, started a scholarship fund for high school kids who pledged to be drug- and alcohol-free.

"His initiative has gone nationwide," Ferrell wrote in an email. "I decided to take this step to award our kids here at LHS and break that stereotype that all athletes drink or use drugs. I want to help influence and reward kids for doing the right thing."

This is the first year the majority of the proceeds will go toward a college scholarship for a male or student female athlete who is a member of ACE who has remained alcohol- and drug-free for four years.

The remaining proceeds will be given to charities and used to sponsor safe social events for students at Libertyville High School, Ferrell said.

"It reinforces the idea that kids can be drug- and alcohol-free in high school and still be successful, and it's a great tribute to the whole idea behind the organization," Kuceyeski said.

Ferrell said that, in the future, he would like to give out multiple scholarships if the club has the resources.

"The more we raise, the more we can give back," Ferrell said. "This is the first year I've ever done it, but as it continues to grow, I'm hoping there's a possibility that we could reward multiple students."

The student athlete will be awarded the scholarship on May 20, 2014, at Libertyville High School's Honors Night, Ferrell said.

Students and parents can register for the race online at Libertyville High School's website.

Registration costs $25. The day of the race, parents and students can register from 8:30-9:30 a.m. inside the high school's football stadium.

Libertyville High School students and parents can also register for a 1 mile fun run for $15, and can also register on the same day as the race.